Coffee package



H. F. WATERS COFFEE PACKAGE Oct. 13, 1942.

Filed Oct. 19, 1959 @5% y. Mm m 5 MN /m/m m/dN n. 1W f A M M2M EM V/ 1 mif H Patented Oct. 13, 1942 corral: rAoxAcr. Harry F. waters, Newroi-aN. Y.

Application October 19, 1939, Serial No. 300,099

(c1. sis-171) 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of bagsand the like and more particularly to the manufacture of` bags for thepackaging of coiee and similar commodities which give oif gases onstanding and which tend to deteriorate rapidly when exposed to air. Thisinvention relates specifically to the packaging of food commoditieswhich evolve carbon dioxide gas.

Although my invention will hereinafter be described with relation to thepackaging of coee, it is to be understood that the principles of vtheinvention may be applied to the packaging of otherV products. Y As willhereinafter be more particularly described, one of the principal objectsof my present invention is to provide, in a package o f the type abovedescribed, means wherebycarbon dioxide gas evolved by the packagedcommodity may be dispersed into the air. at a rate suillcient to preventthe commodity Afrom creating an internal pressure within the packagesuflicient to cause it to become distorted or ruptured.

Another-object of my present invention is to provide, in a package ofthe type above described,^means whereby carbon dioxide gas evolved bythe packaged commodity may be dispersed into the air at a rate suicientto prevent the commodity from creating an internal pressure within thepackage suilicient to cause it to become distorted, distended, orruptured, said means also having the characteristic of preventing flowof air therethrough. It will be appreciated that although the said meanswill not absolutely prevent the passage of air, it will reduce the rateof ow thereof to a point where it becomes negligible insofar as itseffect on the packaged commodity is concerned.

A still further object of my present invention is' to provide, in apackage of the type above described, a bag made of rubber or analogousmaterial in which the commodity is packaged so that the carbon dioxideliberated by said commodity may be dispersed into the air at a ratesumcient to prevent the formation of an internal pressure which willdistort, distend or rupture the package. The use of a rubber bag willalso prevent air from adversely aiecting the packaged commodity.

These and other objects of the present invention will become moreapparent from a study of the following description and by reference tothe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a schematic 'vertical sectional view of a package embodyingthe principles of the presentA invention;

Fig. 2 is a viewsimllar to Fig. l but showing a modified form of theinvention; v`and Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 1-but showing anothermodification of the present invention.

, Referring now to the drawing in which like numerals indicate likeparts, and, more particularly to the modification disclosed in Fig. 1, Ihave shown schematically a bag or package comprising a plurality ofnested tubes each provided with a suitably formed bottom ofA any of theconventional types. The outer ply I0 is preferably made of paper, theintermediate ply Il of rubber, and.

the inner ply I2 of glassine or other suitable grease resistingmaterial. After the coffee I3 has beenpackaged the closure I4, of theinner ply'l is closed but is not sealed, while the intermediate andouter plies are sealed to provide an air-tight closure 15. l Y

The particular type of top closure used is not essential to the presentinvention. 5 However, in the case of a coffee package the bottom is ofthe automatic opening or ABC type. It will be noted that the top closureis formed by sealing rubber surfaces together as, for example, by theuse of heat and/0r pressure. Preferably the top closure used by me isthat disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No.294,576, lled September 13, 1939.

The package which I have just described affords many advantages in thepackaging of those materials which give oi gases on standing and whichdeteriorate rapidly when exposed `to air as, for example, coffee. Therubber used in making the intermediate ply I I may be uncured' andprovided with a talc surface in order to prevent blockingJ It may bepartially cured or it may be given a quick surface dip to provide anon-blocking surface. Rubber, however, which has been so cured as toremove substantially all stretch does not permit the passage of carbondioxide gas therethrough at a rate to make its use commerciallypracticable. Rubber compounds such as halogenated rubber, rubberhydrochloride, etc. have an internal structure such as to prevent itsuse in the packaging ofcoiee in accordance with the principles of mypresent invention for the aromatic oils which become rancid when exposedto the oxygen of the air.

Thus by the use of a rubber ply sealing or `undue distortion of thepackage will not take at the same time air will not contact with thecoil'ee.

'I'he use of the inner glassine or other grease resisting material asthe inner ply is likewise advantageous since the volatile oils wouldotherwise tend to strike through and spoil and deteriorate the rubber.This inner ply in reality constitutes merely a liner or protectingmedium for the rubber and of course need not be sealed and preferably isnot sealed.

In some cases it is desirable to package the coffee in a plurality ofsmall units contained within a large package. For example, assuming thatthe package disclosed in Fig. 2'is a one pound coffee package, eachindividual unit will contain one quarter pound coifee. The package ofFig. 2 is of the same general construction as that disclosed in Fig. l.'I'he outer ply IB is made from paper, the intermediate ply I1 fromrubber. In order to form-the individual units each one quarter pound isplaced within an inner bag formed from glassine or some other suitablegrease resisting material. As in the case of Fig. l the closure I9 ofeach individual unit is not sealed. The closure 20 for the packageproper is formed in the same manner as the closure I disclosed in Fig.l. s

Referring now to Fig. 3 I have shown an alternate method of makingthepackage and it will be noted that although the outer ply 2| is made frompaper, each individual unit is encasedirst in a container 22 formed fromrubber within which is a container 23 formed from glassine or othersuitable grease-resisting material. The closures of the glassinecontainer again are not sealed; whereas the closures for the rubbercontainers are sealed. The package is provided with a conventional formof closure 25.

It will be noted that in each form of the invention the ply formed fromglassine or other grease-resisting material is not sealed, rst, becausethere is no need for sealing and, second, because it permits a readyescape of the carbon dioxide gas through the closure so as to precludeany possibility of distention or distortion of the package through thecreation of internal pressure within the coil'ee package.

Although my present invention has been described with respect to threeforms thereof it will be appreciated that the package may be constructedin a number of ways. depending upon the desire of the particularmanufacturer and purchaser. The essential feature of the invention is toencase the coffee in a rubber container which will permit carbon dioxidegas evolved by the coifee to pass therefrom at a rate sumcient toprevent distortion of the package and at the same time block the ingressof air into the package. By maintaining the coii'ee out of contact withthe air the coffee will not become rancid.

Having now described my invention as required by the patent statutes,what I claim as new is:

l. A package particularly adapted for coffee which evolves a gas uponstanding and which is subject to deterioration upon exposure to air,including a container made from flexible, partially cured sheet rubber,coffee disposed within said container, and a closure formed in saidcontainer, said closure being substantially impervious to air, and saidrubber being so partially cured asto be substantially impervious to air'and relatively pervious to the gas evolved by said coiee whereby saidcontainer will substantially exclude air from saidv packagmand willpermit the gas evolved by said coiee to escape at a rate sumcientlyrapid to avoid creation offsubstantial gaseous pressure within saidcontainer and to prevent bursting thereof.

2. A package particularly adapted for coiiee which evolves a gas uponstanding and which is subject to deterioration upon exposure to air,including a container having an outer ply of paper, an intermediate plyof partially cured sheet rubber, an inner ply of greaseproof sheetmaterial,

` Ycoee disposed within said container, the mouth of said inner plybeing closed but unsealed and the mouth of said intermediate ply beingclosed substantially impervious to air and the rubber of saidintermediate ply being so partially cured as to be substantiallyimpervious to air and relatively pervious to the gas evolved by saidcoffee whereby said container will substantially exclude air from saidpackage and will permit the gas evolved by said coifee to escape at arate suilleiently rapid to avoid creation of substantial gas'- eouspressure within said container and to prevent bursting thereof.

HARRY F. WATERS.

